Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Censor: The Lost Moral Census

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a little-known but revealing aspect of Marcus Aurelius's reign: his revival of the ancient office of censor in 168 CE. Unlike the traditional censors who conducted the Roman census and moral oversight, Marcus appointed himself and his co-emperor Lucius Verus to the role, a move that sparked debate among senators and historians. The discussion covers the powers of the censor, including the lectio senatus (review of the Senate roll) and the regimen morum (supervision of public morality), and how Marcus's Stoic philosophy shaped his approach—he used it to purge corruption rather than to punish personal vices. The episode also delves into the legal context of the censorial power, the precedent set by Augustus, and the eventual decline of the office after Marcus. Listeners will encounter key figures like the jurist Volusius Maecianus, who advised Marcus on legal reforms, and the freedman censor's secretary, an ab epistulis named Marcus Aurelius Papirus. The conversation also touches on the moral controversies of the era, including the trial of the senator Herodes Atticus for alleged corruption, and how Marcus's ethical rigor clashed with the realities of imperial politics. #MarcusAurelius #RomanCensor #Stoicism #AntonineDynasty #LuciusVerus #HerodesAtticus #VolusiusMaecianus #MarcusAureliusPapirus #LectioSenatus #RegimenMorum #RomanLaw #RomanHistory #AncientRome #FexingoHistory #Meditations #StoicEthics #History #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo